"Just hold on cause you never know what's in the works, what's on the horizon, what's over the next hill, or what's just around the corner. Please don't quit trying, that's the only sure way to fail." Denise Haas, aka Big D

The Cure for Anxiety!

We all have cares
It’s a universal truth that if you are a breathing human being, you will have cares in this life. Just off the top of my head, I can think of forty one things that people could care about. From family issues, to the end of the world, to the price of gasoline, and everything in between, there’s really no end to our cares. It’s inevitable to care, but it can be paralyzing if we don’t know the correct way to deal with those cares. Fortunately, the Lord has a lot to say about this very thing in His Word.

Don’t worry, be happy
Essentially, that’s what Jesus is telling us to do in Matthew 6:25-34. In a nutshell, Jesus tells us that we don’t have to worry about what we will eat, or drink, or the clothing we put on because life is worth more than those things. In fact, He says, WE are worth more than those things. Because if God, our heavenly father, takes care of birds, and nature, how much more will He TAKE CARE of us? Besides, Jesus says, “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life…or a single inch to his stature?” So, we can’t be taller by worrying and we won’t live a single hour longer because of it. In truth, when we worry, we actually lessen our quality of life, certainly psychologically, but sometimes the worry can manifest in our bodies through ulcers, strokes, and other physical illnesses. Bottom line: If we trust God more, we will worry less. In verse 33, Jesus tells us exactly how to do that, “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”In other words, “Don’t worry-trust God, and be happy!”

If it’s a care, it’s a prayer
One of the things that can happen to us when we don’t seek God’s Kingdom first, is that we become anxious. With anxiety comes unrest which can lead to exhaustion; and believe me, I know. We weren’t meant to carry these cares. Jesus wants us to cast all of our cares upon Him because He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). How can we “cast our cares” upon Him? I’m going to tell you something right now that has literally changed my life. Are you ready? Here it is: “If it’s a care, it’s a prayer.”

Remember all of those cares I mentioned at the beginning of this writing? We can apply that phrase to every one of those 41 cares and more! Check this out, if it’s a big care, it can be a big prayer; if it’s a little care, we can whisper a little prayer. This principle solves a plethora of problems in our lives. If it’s a recurring care, then it will be a recurring prayer. The Bible tells us to “Pray about everything,” and “Pray without ceasing.” Some folks may wonder how a normal person could pray that much, but when we apply this principle, “if it’s a care, it’s a prayer,” then we are (super) naturally going to obey those commands.

Training myself to pray like this also keeps me from complaining about things. For example, instead of complaining about the bad service or food at a restaurant, I can now pray for the restaurant to be blessed with a new cook or servers. If it’s a care, it’s a prayer.

The cure for anxiety
In our world today, people are desperately seeking peace. The thing is, we won’t find it in a pill or a person, a career, fame, fortune or a religion. We were created to find real peace only when we walk in right relationship with our God through Jesus Christ. And while man’s best efforts to remedy our worries continue to fail, our loving God has already provided the answer.

Here’s the “Pre-Scripture” for anxiety: Phil. 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Now, that’s practical advice!

The problem is anxiety, the solution is prayer with thanksgiving, and the result is the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds in Jesus. Isn’t that awesome? You see, the Bible isn’t an outdated rule book, it’s a love letter from God to His creation. God is on OUR SIDE, and He wants us to find our peace and joy in Him.

Take the challenge!
Are you up for a challenge? Try this: for the next seven days, take every care to the Lord in prayer. Big cares and little cares, and every worry in between. Oh yeah, and don’t think you should not “bother God” with the little cares. Remember, He’s not like a human. There are no limits to God. He doesn’t sleep and He’s never too busy to answer our calls.

If you take this challenge, I guarantee you will be blessed, your faith will grow, and you will have more peace in your life. You have God’s word on it.